New Guinea Impatiens plant named ‘Balcebpiel’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea  Impatiens  plant named ‘Balcebpiel’ characterized by its large pink-colored flowers, medium green-colored foliage, medium upright, mounded growth habit, and excellent basal branching.

Latin name of genius and species of plant claimed: Impatiens hawkeri.

Variety denomination: ‘Balcebpiel’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct New Guinea Impatiensplant botanically known as Impatiens hawkeri and hereinafter referred toby the cultivar name ‘Balcebpiel’.

The new cultivar was developed by the inventor in a controlled breedingprogram during June 2000 at Arroyo Grande, Calif. The objective of thebreeding program was to develop New Guinea Impatiens cultivars withnumerous large flowers, excellent basal branching and upright compact tomoderate growth habits.

The female (seed) parent of ‘Balcebpiel’ was the proprietary Impatienshawkeri selection designated ‘1585-4’ (not patented), characterized byits upright growth habit, light pink-colored flowers and mediumgreen-colored foliage. The male (pollen) parent of ‘Balcebpiel’ wasproprietary Impatiens hawkeri selection designated ‘BFP-2565’ (notpatented), characterized by its pink-colored flowers and darkgreen-colored foliage. ‘Balcebpiel’ was discovered and selected as asingle flowering plant within the progeny of the above statedcross-pollination in January of 2001 at Arroyo Grande, Calif. and wasinitially designated ‘3183-2’.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings takensince January 2001 at West Chicago, Ill. has demonstrated that the newcultivar reproduces true to type with all the characteristics, as hereindescribed, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations ofsuch asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It was repeatedly found that the cultivar of the present invention:

-   -   1. Exhibits large round pink-colored flowers,    -   2. Forms medium green-colored foliage,    -   3. Exhibits a good basal branching character, and    -   4. Exhibits a medium, upright mounded growth habit.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the female parentprimarily in flower color and from plants of the male parent primarilyin foliage color.

Of the many commercially available New Guinea Impatiens cultivars knownto the inventor, ‘Balcebpiel’ is most similar to ‘BFP-844’ (U.S. PlantPat. No. 11,415). However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in WestChicago, Ill., plants of the new cultivar differed from plants of‘BFP-844’ in the following characteristics.

-   -   1. Plants of the new cultivar have more branches than plants of        ‘BFP-844’,    -   2. Plants of the new cultivar have shorter branches than plants        of ‘BFP-844’, and    -   3. Plants of the new cultivar have larger flowers than plants of        ‘BFP-844’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photographs show, as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typicalflower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. Colors in thephotographs differ slightly from the color values cited in the detaileddescription, which accurately describes the colors of ‘Balcebpiel’. Theplants were grown from rooted cuttings for 14 weeks in a greenhouse atWest Chicago, Ill.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the overall growth and flowering habitof ‘Balcebpiel’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of a single flower of ‘Balcebpiel’.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype mayvary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature,light intensity, and day length without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is TheR.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England,1995 edition, except where general color terms of ordinary significanceare used. The color values were determined on Sep. 11, 2003 between 1:00and 1:45 p.m.under natural daylight conditions.

The following measurements and comparisons describe plants produced fromcuttings taken from stock plants and grown under greenhouse conditionscomparable to those used in commercial practice. The plants were grownin 10 cm pots for 14 weeks utilizing a soilless growth medium.Greenhouse temperatures were maintained at approximately 72° F. duringthe day and approximately 65° F. during the night. Greenhouse lightlevels were maintained at approximately 4,000-7,000 footcandles duringthe day.

-   Classification:    -   -   Botanical.—Impatiens hawkeri cultivar ‘Balcebpiel’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female (seed) parent.—Proprietary Impatiens hawkeri            selection designated ‘1585-4’ (not patented).        -   Male (pollen) parent.—Proprietary Impatiens hawkeri cultivar            ‘BFP-2565’ (not patented).-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal stem.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 7-14 days.        -   Time to develop a rooted cutting.—Approximately 21 days.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Habit of growth.—Compact with good basal branching. A mature            plant, 14 weeks after the planting of a rooted cutting,            commonly measures approximately 15 cm from soil level to top            of plant plane and approximately 24 cm in width (plant            spread).        -   Plant form.—Upright and mounded.        -   Branches.—Quantity per plant: Approximately 2. Length:            Approximately 7.4 cm. Diameter: Approximately 9 mm. Texture:            Glabrous. Color: 144A. Internode length: Approximately 1.9            cm.        -   Foliage.—Type: Simple. Arrangement of lower leaves:            Alternate. Arrangement of upper leaves: Whorls. Shape:            Elliptic. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Attenuate. Margin:            Serrulate, ciliate. Texture of upper and lower surfaces:            Slightly rugose. Pubescence of upper surface: Moderately            papillate. Pubescence on lower surface: None. Venation            pattern: Pinnate. Size of mature foliage: Length:            Approximately 9.7 cm. Width: Approximately 3.7 cm. Color of            mature foliage: Upper surface: Slightly darker than 137A,            with veins and mid-vein of 145C. Lower surface: 147B with            veins and mid-vein of 145B. Petiole: Length: Approximately            1 cm. Diameter: Approximately 3.4 mm. Texture: Upper and            lower surfaces: Glabrous. Color: 145B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type.—Single, not fragrant with self-cleaning petals.        -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering with flowers positioned            above the foliage and facing outward or upward.        -   Natural flowering season.—Year round in greenhouse            environment. Flowering is continuous from spring until fall            in the garden.        -   Flower longevity on plant.—Approximately 10 days.        -   Quantity of flowers and buds per stem.—Approximately 1 fully            open flower and 7 buds at any one time.        -   Mature flower buds (just before opening).—Shape: Ovoid.            Length: Approximately 1.8 cm. Diameter: Approximately 1 cm.            Color of petals: Darker than 54A.        -   Flower shape.—Round, flat to slightly cupped.        -   Flower size.—Diameter: Approximately 6.6 cm. Depth:            Approximately 1.7 cm.        -   Petals.—Number: Five per flower. Shape: Obovate. Margin:            Entire. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Superior petal has truncate            base, other four petals have attenuate bases. Texture of            upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous. Appearance: Iridescent.            Size: Superior petal length: Approximately 2.7 cm. Superior            petal width: 4.3 cm. Lateral petal length: 3.2 cm. Lateral            petal width: 2.8 cm. Lower petal length: 3.5 cm. Lower petal            width: 3.1 cm. Color of upper surface of all petals: 47D            with venation of 47B and base darker than N57A. Color of            lower surfaces of all petals: 49D with venation of 47B,            mid-vein of 59C and base of 47C. Petal color fades with age            to 54A.        -   Calyx.—Quantity of sepals: Three, with lower sepal modified            into a spur. Sepal shape: Ovate. Sepal apex: Acuminate.            Sepal texture of both surfaces: Glabrous. Lateral sepal            length: Approximately 1.4 cm. Lateral sepal width:            Approximately 6 mm. Lateral sepal color of both surfaces:            145B. Lower sepal length: Approximately 1.5 cm. Lower sepal            width: Approximately 7 mm. Lower sepal color of both            surfaces: 55D with venation and margin of 55A.        -   Spur.—Quantity: One per flower. Length: Approximately            5.1 cm. Diameter at flower: 3 mm. Diameter at tip: 1 mm.            Aspect: Curved downward. Color: 146C overlaid with 59C.        -   Peduncles.—Strength: Strong. Angle to stem: Acute. Length:            Approximately 4.6 cm. Diameter: 2 mm. Texture: Glabrous.            Color: 145B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Five stamens, anthers are            fused together forming one organ that surrounds the pistil.            Filaments are free. Generally, the anthers shed pollen prior            to the stigma becoming receptive. Filament color: 61B.            Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: Approximately 3 mm.            Anther color: Colorless and translucent. Pollen amount:            Moderate. Pollen color: 8D. Gynoecium: Pistil number: One            per flower. Pistil length: Approximately 5 mm. Stigma            length: 0.5 mm. Stigma color: Colorless and translucent.            Style length: 0.5 mm. Style color: 144D and translucent.            Ovary length: 4 mm. Ovary diameter: 2 mm. Ovary color: 144A.-   Seed and fruit development: Neither seed nor fruit production has    been observed.-   Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests    common to Impatiens has not been observed.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of New Guinea Impatiens plant named‘Balcebpiel’ substantially as herein shown and described, which: 1.Exhibits large round pink-colored flowers,
 2. Forms medium green-coloredfoliage,
 3. Exhibits a good basal branching character, and
 4. Exhibits amedium upright, mounded grown habit.